NORTH

Last week The Husband took me on a trip.  We had planned for a couple of months after he told me to decide where I would like to go.  He said he would go anywhere I wanted.  Well, being the good wife I am, I felt I should choose somewhere he might enjoy as well so after much thought, I chose upstate New York and the Adirondacks, a place neither of us had explored.

We flew into Rochester and found a small airport.  I mean really small.  It was nice after the zoo in our own local airport.  We began driving toward the southern part of the Adirondacks to spend the night at the Herkimer Motel.  After getting a recommendation from the nice Northern motel attendants, we ate a nice supper, then came outside the restaurant to find the rain had begun.  The rain continued for a couple of days.  I'm not talking a little rain, but a lot of rain.

Many have asked about my pictures from the trip.  I seem to have this reputation among my friends that I can take good pictures.  I will say that I take a LOT of pictures and eventually get some keepers but really, I'm not a very scientific good photographer.  I do enjoy the effort, though.  Rain doesn't make for very good picture taking efforts.  In spite of the rain many days, I still got some I like so I will share.  You can learn about the trip as we go along.

As I said, we began the first two days with rain....and we actually ended the trip with rain....and had some rain in the middle, too....

We visited Lake Placid and spent a night there.  The 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics were held in Lake Placid.  We took a wonderful tour at the Olympic Center.  Our tour guide was a gentleman who served on the Lake Placid Olympic committee from the beginning of the bidding process.  He had some wonderful inside stories for the two of us, the only two of us on the tour.  It turned into a private tour.  Nice.

The 1980 Olympics is the one where the USA beat Russia in ice hockey.  Who could forget that?  It was also the year Eric Heiden won the five gold medals in speed skating.  The hockey game somehow overshadowed the individual efforts of the five gold medalist in speed skating.  It should not have.  Eric Heiden also broke a world record and an Olympic record in addition to his five individual gold medals.  Quite a feat, I would say!

Here we are at the entrance to the hockey rink where the famed hockey game took place back in 1980.  Yes, I had on a long sleeved shirt, a fleece vest, AND a fleece jacket along with a scarf and gloves in my pocket.  It was cold...at one point 39 degrees with a windchill of 31 degrees.  Brrr.....

There was the 1932 figure skating rink where Sonja Henie won the women's figure skating medal.  Olympians still train there today.  The rink itself was quite smaller than the hockey one and had many, many fewer seats.

We saw the speed skating rink where Eric Heiden won his five gold medals.  It is immediately next door to the Olympic Center right in front of a building that looks very governmental.  Turned out that building is the high school there in Lake Placid.  It has been there for years and years.  The speed skating rink is still used today. 

After our tour ended we visited the museum housed on the lower level of the center.  While it was very small, there were many interesting things.  Here are a few....

We ate lunch, then drove out to the ski jump area which was actually closed for the day.  I was able to get some photos from across the street.  While it is localized in a very small area, it is very high as you can see from the pictures.

After that, we drove to the bobsled, luge, and cross country skiing areas.  Some young men were training on the bobsled for some tryouts that were coming up.  The Husband and I found a viewing area, listened for the starting horn and bobsled sounds and I got my camera ready.  The bobsleds were SOOOOO fast!  I actually had my camera ready about fourteen times before I got a bobsledder in the photo!  I have all fourteen pictures to prove it!   This area, too, is amazing.  The whole "Olympic" experience makes us look forward to the next Winter Olympics....kind of puts a different spin on watching.  Get it?  Skating...spin?  (Insert smile here.)

We found a lodge that made their own maple syrup and sold in their shop on the "honor system".

Unfortunately, Whiteface Mountain (the Olympic ski mountain) was closed also and with the clouds there, was fairly impossible to photograph so we drove on to Plattsburgh, an hour or so from the Canadian border.  (No, we did not go into Canada.  We are passport-less.  We stayed on our home turf).

The Husband's planned fishing day on the ever so large Lake Champlain was postponed for a day because of wind threats so we drove up to the border, took a look, then crossed into Vermont and drove a ways before taking the Lake Champlain ferry back into New York. 

Before we got to the ferry, the rain began yet again...and you can tell from these Vermont flags that the wind blew as well.  Brrr....

On the fishing trip, The Husband and his guide caught many smallmouth bass fish, a kind of fish he had never caught before.  Imagine that...with all his fishing experience and skills.  I was happy he had a fun day and success.  I spent a little shopping time, then a little motel resting time and had a fun time as well.

As we headed out to Cooperstown the next day, we saw many beautiful sights of color, water, and mountains....all with a blue sky! 

We saw loons, ducks, and beaver areas.

At Cooperstown,  we ate a supper of New York Style Pizza. Our meal the next day at a very small diner consisted of hamburgers--one a VERY jumbo burger.  Guess who ordered such?

We enjoyed seeing the sights of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The most memorable things I saw there were these....one is made out of baseball cards--front and back, the other two statues made completely out of wood.  AMAZING talent for sure.  

We visited the Farmers' Museum. 

I took a picture of this pig pen to remind us all the horrible shape the prodigal son got in before coming back home to his father....

It was their last open day of the year so they were giving free carousel rides.  The carousel was unique and had different animals and paintings of New York places.

Our trip neared it's end as we headed back toward the airport, stopping in Auburn (not of orange "War Eagle" fame) NY to spend the night.  That route showed us much beautiful farmland amidst more rainy skies. 

The next morning as we carried on toward the airport, we also had time to go north of the airport and get a glimpse of the windy Lake Ontario before returning our rented car and checking in.  It was REALLY cold there by that large body of water.

We arrived at the Rochester airport to more rain.  The landing at the airport back at home happened on the second try as wind was a factor.  Turbulence in the air is not my idea of a good time.  I don't like those kind of landings at all but all turned out well. 

The trip gave me many more photos.  Leaves were two weeks past their peak but still this beautiful....

For now, that's all folks!  Hope you enjoyed the "journal".

ROYALTY

I went to the dentist for my regular six month cleaning a couple or so weeks ago.  I thought all was well until the dentist took a good look and noticed that a molar was cracked down the middle.  I asked him if he could just pull it....assured him I wouldn't miss it but he, being the knowledgeable dentist he was, suggested that it would not be good at all to pull it.  It would have to be crowned.  Ah, a crown....royalty.   I have to trust him.  He's my long-time dentist.   So I left the chair, went to the clerk's window, and made appointments for the two trip crown procedure.

I am familiar with crowns.  Back when I was fresh out of high school in the early/mid 70's, I had a job as the front desk person at a local doctor's office.  I brought home a check for $60-$80 after taxes each week.  During that time, I had to have two crowns--one in an upper molar and one in a lower molar.   Those crowns cost me $350 each and while my new crown now will be way over what the two of those cost together back then, it was hard to pay back them with my small pay check.  But alas, I did it.  I say all of that to say that these crowns are still alive and well after all these years.  I did pull one out one Saturday morning with a Tootsie Roll.  I called the dentist's office I have now and the elder doctor was in, told me to come on it, and he cemented the crown back in.  At that time he remarked how nice and good those were to last so long and how they will probably last many more years.   I hope he was right.

Now that I've rambled that story, I will say I spent over one hour in The Dentist's chair yesterday with his hands and his assistant's hands in my open mouth.  It was NOT fun.  It took six to seven hours to get the feeling back.  And if you have had this numbing experience in your dentist's office, you will understand how aggravating that can be.  Then last night I bit the inside of my cheek because of the odd feeling and this morning I have a blister on my bottom lip from the constant tool laying there on it while the dentist did his chipping and drilling.  The Assistant, too, had to have been tired as she had my mouth full with her stuff to hold my tongue and keep it from flipping around.  I have a very active tongue when I am in the dentist's office.  It has a mind of it's own.  Kind of like the Bible speaks of the tongue being such....well, maybe not exactly like that but you get my point.

The Dentist did make a statement yesterday that has to be true since he's a dentist and knows these things.  The point of this post is to tell all of you, my faithful blog readers, this fact.  Some may find it unbelievable but I assure you that it's true.  The Dentist said so.  He said that I have a very small mouth.  Me.  A VERY SMALL MOUTH.  So there....I knew you would all want to know that.  The Husband was told as well, but is a bit of an unbeliever.  I choose to agree with the dentist.   So there. I KNEW you would all want to know.

Have a good day.....

HANDSHAKES

It's been a while, hasn't it?  I'm ready to get back to my regular blogging.  I've missed it but life has somewhat overtaken me with distractions and other business.

My post today is really nothing mind-boggling nor intensely deep, just a simple observation and reminder.

Many people take pride in their handshakes.  Handshakes are a form of trust in a "deal", a form or friendship, a form of fellowship, and a form of goodwill.    You've heard it said that a firm handshake is a sign of strength of purpose.  Or maybe you haven't heard that.  You might have even heard that a handshake like a wet dishrag is a sign of weakness.   Don't you believe it.

I'm on this subject because at a revival meeting last night during "fellowship" time, I was greeted by a gentlemen who had one of those firm handshakes.  Oouuuccchhhhh!!!!!!  With my badly arthritic hand I've had for the past few months, it's about took me down.  I kid you not.  It was all I could do to not visibly cry nor verbally scream.  Instead, I gave one of those half smile things and inwardly cringed and felt sick.  By the time I got home and still this morning, I have major swelling in that hand and much pain.

I guess the point of my post is to remind folks, especially male folks, to shake gently, especially with a girl.  Especially with an older girl.  Just in case she is an arthritic older girl.  She won't mind a wet dishrag handshake.  At all.

WEATHER

The weather is changing these days.  The long hot days of summer are becoming fewer and farther between.  Ahead are the cooler, crisper days of fall.  As most of you regular blog readers know, Fall and Spring are my favorite seasons with Fall ahead of the pack by a stretch.

Lately rain has come to my yard, sometimes even coming as massive downpours for short times but enough to really make big puddles in my yard.  I recall that one day a few days ago was actually the five or six year anniversary of the massive flood we experienced here in our county.  I recall firstly that my bank flooded and my safe deposit box that sat on the next to the last row from the bottom was flooded along with many others.  What a mess!  Yes, I have one now that is eye level.  I recall on that scary day standing in my office watching as the creek down the road overflowed it's banks.   Scary but amazing at the force as I watched the large ice machine from the store there float across the then muddy water covered road over to our land.  That was one heavy machine floating along as if it was a float on the ocean.  I remember that finding a route safe to get to my house was a challenge that day and I held my breath as policemen would direct cars one by one through the water to be sure each got through safely.   It was an occasion I don't want to ever experience again.

I look forward as the weather begins to cool down, the skies seem clearer and bluer, and the leaves begin to turn.  Seasons change and bring us many different times of refreshing.  Fall with the crisp beauty.  Winter with times of cold and wishes of spring.  Spring with the singing of birds and clear skies and warmer temperatures after the bitter cold, dreary winter.  And my least favorite, Summer, brings the heat and wishes for cooler fall.  Sounds like a vicious cycle, doesn't it?  Just kidding...

As I think of these times of weather seasons, it's a lot like that with life, isn't it?  Seasons of joy when all is beautiful, happy, and filled with delight.  Seasons of change that many people would prefer to not have.  Seasons of physical sickness (or worse) with health that we don't understand.  Seasons of bodily change that comes with the aging process.  Painful seasons of loss.   Seasons of gain.  Seasons of disappointment.  Seasons of satisfaction.  Seasons of despair.  Seasons of thankfulness.  Seasons of spiritual renewal.

One thing we can be sure of through all the seasons of our life is just as our world's seasons are controlled by a higher power, so are our lives.  We can be assured that through all the seasons of our lives, our Lord is constant and true.  And that gives us all great hope that "It is well", no matter what our circumstances may be.  As the book of Ecclesiastes Chapter 3 tells there is "to every thing there is a season and  a time to every purpose under heaven".  That should give us all assurance of the best kind.  If we had no cold or rain, we wouldn't appreciate the sunshine or the rainbow.  Some day I just need reminding of that.

So bring on the fall leaves, cooler weather, and pumpkins!  I'm ready.....

BIG CHURCH WITH LITTLE PEOPLE

It is my opinion that I write about things that are a big part of my life.  Face it, our thoughts tend to wander towards the people and things we love.  Most of you my blog readers surely have figured out now that my God, my Savior Jesus Christ and my spiritual life are most important to me with my family being right there next with very little space between.   

The experience I’ve been pondering today happened at church yesterday.  Big church.  Of course, since the Children’s Choir sang my favorite, “Jesus Loves Me” and made me teary eyed as they often do when they sing this in their sweet littles voices, I was being blessed.  Yesterday was not my day to play the organ for the service so after the choir singing, I walked to sit at my regular spot about four or five rows from the back by the wall aisle.  I always try to choose my bench so that I am NOT sitting under a light.  The recessed lighting in our church can get very hot and I’m hot enough without having to sweat more.    Just sayin’…

After taking my seat, the visiting preacher began.  He had just started when I saw that one of the little girls from my Sunday School class had walked to my bench to sit with me.  She hopped up on the pew, pulled her dress over her knees, settled herself in, looked up at me and smiled with sweet expectation.  Ah.  I’m always sunk when they smile.    I quietly pointed to her beautiful sandals and we both smiled.  She’s pretty good at knowing what I’m meaning and being quiet.  Well, wasn’t but a couple of minutes, I noticed over to the left from the center aisle that another little girl from the class was coming to sit with me.  She took her place on the right side, we all three squeezed together (even though we were on an empty bench) and sat there quietly.  I never have any bag of tricks with me, just a purse and my Bible, and since I don't let anyone look in my purse, sitting with me can become pretty boring after a while.  It wasn’t long till one more little girl from the class came from the seat in front of us to sit with us.  As the sermon went on, little bits of whispering began and I shot my looks of “don’t-be-talking-in-big-church”.  Granted,  these little ones are pretty good in Big Church. 

Eventually the last one to join us got bored with no activity and went back to her seat in front of us.  One of the others got the Bible from the book rack, opened it and proclaimed, “There’s no pictures.”  I suggested quietly that she come and sit with the other child and they could look at my Bible, which had pictures.    There was a simple picture of the ark.  No animals, no water, and no Noah but an ark.  The youngest one said, “What’s that?”  The oldest said matter of factly, “It’s the ark.  Noah’s.”  Then the youngest looked at me and said, “We learned that in SUNDAY SCHOOL.”  While excited that she listened in Sunday School, I shushed them a bit but kept turning pages.  Then I flipped back to the front and there was one of creation—the galaxy—a moon and a starburst.  The youngest looked at me and said excitedly, “Whoa…FIREWORKS!”  It was all I could do to not laugh out loud.  I imagine when God created all that, it seemed like big fireworks.

So obviously, if the visiting preacher is reading my blog, I would implore him not to be hurt that I missed most of his sermon.  I can tell you the scripture but didn’t listen too well.  I’ve found today as I recall Big Church for me yesterday that I was getting a sermon right there on my pew from the little people. 

What if I came to church with smiling expectation of wonderful worship?   

What if I came to church having excitement as I would have seeing “fireworks”? 

What if I came to church with simple faith and desire to learn more of Him?

What if I came to church EVERY SINGLE TIME with the big assurance in my heart that “Jesus loves me, this I KNOW”?

What if I came to church ready to “Be still” and listen to what God has to say to me?

What a wonderful Big Church it would be!   Not only Big Church, but life itself. 

So yes, yesterday as I looked at those little hands and little feet with toenails painted, I felt all warm and fuzzy inside.   God doesn’t have nor require a bag of tricks,  He just wants true worship and love in us for Him and for others.  I also learned that “God’s little people are God’s BIG people sometimes.”  And don’t forget it!

And all God’s people would surely shout a loud, “AMEN!”

Just because....

...maybe someone needs to hear this today....from my favorite book, the B-I-B-L-E.

Romans 8:35, 37, 38, 39 says:

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
....

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."


AMEN!

SIMPLE JOYS (Part 1)

“simple” -- Not hard to understand and do

“joy”  -- A feeling of great happiness

I consulted Mr. Webster and his book of definitions for the these two words.  If you put them together you have simple joy.  Simple. Joy.  Of course, if you add an “s”, it’s a multiple of such wonderful things.  Simple joys.

My mind began to think of the simplicity of the meaning of the two words when combined together.  This was prompted by a gift to me from a sweet little girl.  The gift was a Willow Tree figurine of a girl holding an apron full of flowers.   With Willow Tree figures, there is always a title and a saying...this one was titled "Simple Joys" and said, "You are simply a joy in my life."

With that came the thoughts of my 2 and 3 year old Sunday School class end of the year party yesterday.  Of the eight children in the class, six will be “promoted” up to the next class in a couple of weeks.  My Helper and I will miss them so much but it’s the circle of life and they are ready for more advanced learning.  We are grateful for the two that will remain and the one that will join our class.  We pray for growth and more also as the year progresses. 

As the thought of simple joys continued in my mind, I thought back to the time I first began teaching Sunday School.  The mother of one of my current students was one of the little ones at that time.  This picture is one taken of that class and me.  Thirty-three years ago.  Uh huh.  I would say that makes me “experienced” but truthfully, it just makes me simply old.  I was wearing one of my two favorite maternity dresses.  Uh...one of my only two maternity dresses.   Do you recognize two of these little girls as two of our church moms today?

The ability and chance to build a foundation and teach Jesus was a simple joy then and is a simple joy to me now.

Looking back on the pictures that were taken at the party yesterday, I decided a picture is again worth a thousand words so I’ll allow you the ability to decipher other simple joys from children.  They are endless.  Endless.  And what better way to live than in a world with endless simple joys?

Blonde hair with eyes of blue and a sweet smile.  I actually heard my name called today after church as I stood on the sidewalk and this little one's car was stopped as they were leaving.  The back window was down and she was waving to me to say goodbye.  I walked over, kissed her on the forehead and told her I love her.  She replied, "I love you too."  Simple. Joys.  

Playing on a playground....an upcoming new 2 and 3 year old class member.  Simple joy.

The smile of a  little one as she swings.  Simple joy.

A proud "Look at me!" from an adventurous one.  Simple joy.

The fun of up, up, and away, looking as though standing in the air, and a smile of sheer delight with braid in her hair blowing in the wind.  And don't forget the purple shoes. Simple joy.

"Take my picture on the slide".  "Can I see?"   Simple joy.

Playing together.  Simple joy.

"Push me Aunt Christi!"...and a "my turn!"  Simple joy.

Fun time with a dad.  Look at that face on that little guy.  Pure simple joy.

"Whee.........!"   A late arrival but a fabulous swinger!  Simple joy.

All together.  Simple joy.  In most cases.

"Watch me!"  Simple joy.

Young friendship.  Simple joy.

Wet sweaty hair and rosy cheeks from playground fun.  Simple joy.

"Hide and Seek Scavenger Hunt" instructions....2 and 3 year old style.  Simple joy.

Listening intently.  Simple joy.

Searching.  Simple joy.

Finding.  Simple joy.

Goody bags from the "finds".  Simple joy.

And of course, the privilege of thanking the Lord for blessings.  "God our Father, God our Father, we give thanks, we give thanks.  For our many blessings, for our many blessings.  Amen.  Amen."   Some really get into the prayer, some peek, but then again, haven't we all peeked at one time or another?  Yet God still hears!  And surely He smiles because God loves pray-ers and peek-ers.   Simple. Joy.

 

Whispering secrets?  It's a girl thing.  Simple joy.

Ice cream sundaes after delicious pizza.  Simple joy.

Sprinkles.  Simple joy.

M & M's.  Yum.  Simple joy.

 Little children.  Squeals of delight.  Trust.  Even tantrums at times.  All in all, the future of our world lies in these little bodies.  Teaching them, talking to them, and loving them are just the colorful sprinkles on my ice cream sundae of life!

Simple. Simple. Joys.

A LITTLE REFLECTING....

Well summer is closer to the ending than to the beginning.  You won’t hear me say I’m sorry about that.  I love fall season and the cooler, colorful time it brings with it.

Part of today’s sermon scripture was taken from one of my many favorite passages of scripture—Philippians 3: 13, 14 and it goes like this:

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

I do love those Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians books of the New Testament.  And I love that scripture—it was yellow in my Bible, meaning I have read it often and marked it as special.   

As I prepare in this present time to “reach forth to those things which are before”, I try to pray for guidance for what “those things before” will mean to me.  I know that life holds a lot of things that cause us pain and discomfort physically, mentally, and emotionally.  Life can dish out some doozies, or so I like to say.  As I age, too, I say I am rarely surprised at anything any more.

Reflecting on the unknown future, I find comfort and confidence that no matter what comes my way, I will have the Lord there with me giving me strength and courage to face it.  The Pastor today talked about how one should grow and if one is 70, they should be more grown spiritually than they were at fifteen.  I know that is the truth and pray that if the Lord will that my 49 year walk with Him continues,  I will continue to grow in his grace, knowledge, and love.   With spiritual age comes wisdom and experience….I look forward to wisdom and experience, don’t you?  I can try to do my part in the process!

GOO GONE?

Great news from my life....my sutures from the Moh's surgery were removed this week. Yay!  The skin graft has a couple more weeks or so of healing to do but the sutures and bandage are gone!  I was and continue to be a happy girl.

Not gone was the goo of liberal Aquafor that had accumulated in my hair during the past two plus weeks.  What a mess!  I had asked in my last post if anyone knew a remedy and obviously no one did.  I tried the internet solutions and still had the goo in my hair.

I finally thought of a very wise experienced hairdresser that The Girl and The Son-in-Law go to for their hair styling needs. She, luckily, had a sales representative coming into her business establishment just yesterday and planned to ask him.   Here's what she called and told me that he recommended.

Last night The Husband helped and I knew when my hair squeaked in the gooey area after shampooing that success was achieved.  Yay!  Here's how you do it:

Make a thick paste of baking soda and shampoo (any kind of shampoo will work).  Apply paste to DRY hair.  (This is important as wet hair and the goo hinder the working of the concoction.  Some scientific thing to do with hair cuticle.)  Rub and massage the paste into the hair really good.  Let stay on hair for 15 minutes.  Shower/wash out paste mixture and shampoo hair as usual.  Squeaky clean!  

Needless to say I am thrilled.  Totally.  That goo was beginning to really bother me and life is just too short for bothers of that nature.

I also learned from The Wise Hairdresser a remedy for getting chewing gum out of hair so I'll share those ingredients with you.  The instructions are pretty much the same as the goo recipe.  You only need these two ingredients mixed together to apply to the hair.

So now I have done my community service and supplied the remedy for goo-ey hair.  I hope all remember should all ever have use of the remedy.   It's nice that my blog is sometimes user-friendly, isn't it?